Biohydrogenation of linoleic acid by<i>Clostridium sporogenes, Clostridium bifermentans, Clostridium sordellii</i>and<i>Bacteroides</i>sp.

Abstract

Several strains of Clostridium bifermentans, Clostridium sporogenes and Clostridium sordellit and one strain of Bacteroides sp. hydrogenate linoleic acid into transvaccenic acid in vitro following the same pathway. Linoleic acid (18:2; 9-cis, 12-cis) was first isomerised into 9-cis, 11-trans-octadecadienoic acid, after which the 9-cis double bond was reduced. These species also hydrogenated linoleic acid into an octadecenoic acid in vivo when mono-associated with gnotobiotic rats. Several other species of Clostridium and Bacteroides did not hydrogenate linoleic acid.